Metal panel holder

ABSTRACT

A DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR SECURING METAL TEST PANELS IN ORDER TO SUBJECT THE PANELS TO A CLEANING PROCESS, COMPRISING AN ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL HAVING AN AXIAL BORE EXTENDING PARTIALLY THERETHROUGH, MEANS CONNECTING THE AXIAL BORE TO A VACUUM SOURCE, A SERIES OF TRVERSE BORES COMMENCING FROM THE SURFACE OF THE ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL AND INTERCONNECTING WITH THE AXIAL BORE. THE TEST PANELS ARE SECURED BY POSITIONING THEM ON THE SURFACE OF THE ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL OVER THE TRAVERSE BORES AND APPLYING A VACUUM.

March 1971 M. J. A. CARROLL 3,568,375

METAL PANEL HOLDER Filed April 4, 1968 IF" .1. g) .E.

INVENTORI 7775'? Jo 6 m? Carroll BY" 777. W, (5M 7 2 7? 61 g ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,568,375 METAL PANEL HOLDER Mary Jo Ann Carroll, Aberdeen, MIL, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Apr. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 718,795 Int. Cl. B251) 11/00 US. Cl. 51235 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device and system for securing metal test panels in order to subject the panels to a cleaning process, comprising an elastomeric material having an axial bore extending partially therethrough, means connecting the axial bore to a vacuum source, a series of traverse bores commencing from the surface of the elastomeric material and interconnecting with the axial bore. The test panels are secured by positioning them on the surface of the elastomeric material over the traverse bores and applying a vacuum.

The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

Corrosiveness of metal cleaners is evaluated by subjecting metal panels to the action of the cleaner. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine possible detrimental activity of the metal cleaner in regards to the test metals, e.g. corrosion.

The use of small hand sanded metal panels is required by the specification testing of many cleaners. These panels are as small as 1" by 1" and 1" by 3". In the past, it was necessary to hold the panels by hand while sanding them. However, this proved to be a time consuming and fatiguing operation. A method of holding the panels by mechanical means was sought since this would speed up the operation of hand sanding and eliminate the fatigue incurred by holding the panels while sanding them. The utilization of a magnetic holder was considered. However, since aluminum, magnesium and other nonmagnetic metal panels are tested, a magnetic holder is not practical. In addition, since both sides of the panels must be polished, there is no practical way of gluing the panels to hold them while polishing. Also, there is no practical way to clamp the panels to a support without marring the surfaces of the panels.

This invention in general utilizes a vacuum to secure the metal panels to a support. The support or holder comprises an elastic, easily deformable material. This is because the small panels, with which the present invention is concerned, are not flat metal specimens and must be held by a material which can conform to the deformation present in the metal panels. This deformation arises because the strips are cut by a power shear and it is impossible to cut metal strips of such a small size on a power shear without deformation. Attempting to cut the strips by hand leads to even more deformation. The elastomeric material utilized may be a natural or synthetic elastomer having a durometer reading of less than approximately 80 points. Representative examples, in addition to natural rubber include: polyisoprene, polybutadiene, polyurethane elastomers, butyl rubber, neoprene, styrene, styrenebutadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, fluoroelastomers, polysulfides and the like. In addition, it is possible to utilize a holder to secure the panels to a material having an outer layer or facing consisting of the above mentioned elastomeric material in combination with a base consisting of a nonelastic material, e.g., metal, glass, and a plastic or rubber having a durometer reading larger than approximately points.

It is an object of this invention to provide and disclose a device for holding metal panels sufiiciently secure so that they will remain in place while the surface is being sanded.

It is a further object of this invention to provide and disclose a device for holding metal panels securely without marring the surface of the panels being sanded.

It is a further object of this invention to provide and disclose a device such that both sides of the panel can be polished successively Without marring the surface of the sanded side.

It is a further object of the invention to provide and disclose a device for securing magnetizable and nonmagnetizable metal panels.

It is a further object of the invention to provide and disclose a system for cleaning metal test panels.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of the device.

FIG. 2 shows an end view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the connector tube of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of a modification of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of a further modification of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of an additional modificaof the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 shows a side view of a system employing the device.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the device comprises elastomeric member 11 which may be of any suitable configuration. Extending axially from one end of elastomeric member 11 to the interior, and at approximately the center position thereof, is bore 13. Positioned traverse to bore 13, and interconnecting therewith are bores 12. Bore 13 is of a size and configuration to receive connector tube 18, which comprises a cylindrical tube closed at one end and having a series of openings thereon, designated 19, appropriately spaced so as to coincide with traverse bores 12. In the alternative, a short connector tube, not shown, may be utilized, having both ends open, and when positioned in bore 13, terminates prior to bores 12. Connector tube 18 is connected to a vacuum power source by conventional means, e.g., plastic or rubber tubing 16, as shown in FIG. 8.

Other aspects of the invention are shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 which disclose devices having plural series of traverse bores. Thus, the disclosed devices are capable of supporting several metal test panels simultaneously.

In another modification of the invention, a device may be constructed having a facing of an elastic, easily defor-mable material, and a base of a nonelastic material, designated 14, as shown in FIG. 17. The thickness of this facing will be dependent on the ease with which the material deforms and the irregularity of the surface of the material to be held. The shape and spacing of the traverse bores to the vacuum would still be dependent on the size and shape of the panels to be treated.

As an example of the use of the metal test panel holder, reference is made to the system illustrated in FIG. 8. In the system, connector tube 18 is joined with vacuum power source 17 by means of tubing 16. Metal test panel 15 is positioned over traverse bores 12. A vacuum is applied thereby securing the metal panels to the holder.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Having described by invention, I claim:

1. A vacuum metal panel work holder having a work securing exterior surface composed entirely of an elastomeric material, which has a durometer reading of less than approximately 80, a bore extending axially from one end of the holder to the interior thereof, a series of traverse bores extending from the axial bore to the surface of said work securing exterior surface, and means connecting the axially extending bore to a vacuum source.

2. A metal panel holder in accordance with claim 1 comprising a plural series of traverse bores.

3. A metal panel holder in accordance with claim 1 wherein the elastomeric member is selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, butyl rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, neoprene, styrene, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, fiuoroelastomers and polysulfides.

4. A vacuum metal panel work holder comprising a work securing facing and base segment, said facing composed entirely of an elastomeric material, which has a durometer reading of less than approximately 80, said base constructed of a nonelastomeric material, a bore extending axially from one end of the nonelastomeric 4 material to the interior thereof, a series of traverse bores extending from the axial bore to the surface of the work securing segment, and means connecting the axially extending bore to a vacuum source.

5. A metal panel holder in accordance with claim 4 comprising a plural series of traverse bores.

6. A metal panel holder in accordance with claim 4, wherein the elastic member is selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, butyl rubber, styrenebutadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, neoprene, styrene, chlorosulfonate polyethylene, fiuoroelastomers and polysulfides.

7. A metal panel holder in accordance with claim 4, wherein the nonelastic member is selected from the group consisting of glass, metal, rubber and plastic.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,782,574 2/1957 Copold 279-3UX 2,955,829 10/1960 Brewster 2793 3,165,899 1/1965 Shatto 294-64X 3,203,725 8/1965 Bitter 294-64 ANDREW R. IUHASZ, Primary Examiner D. D. EVENSON, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2793; 269-21 

